Do I Need A Coach?

Working with a coach represents a commitment to your training both in terms of money and time, but it could just be the smartest step you can take towards achieving your goals. Here are some of the benefits:

Goals / StructureA coach will help you define a clear goal or set of goals and give you the tailored training plan you need to achieve them. For many cyclists, setting up the structure of their training is the hardest step. If you follow an off the shelf training plan then it is likely that you will get fitter and benefit from the structure. It is very unlikely that you will discover or reach your full potential. It takes experience and expertise to develop a bespoke training plan that meets an individual’s long-term aims and objectives.

Time ManagementYou time to train is precious; investing in a coach is good time management. It takes time to put together a detailed, daily, weekly, monthly and annual training plan and to analyse the effectiveness of each session. A coach will ensure every session matters and no time is wasted, they are an unbiased expert who will ensure your plan directly addresses your areas for improvement. We all enjoy working on our strengths; a coach will ask you to work on your weaknesses.

Accountability / MotivationIt is easy to find an excuse on a cold, wet day, but just knowing someone else is going to see if you miss or shorten a workout will get you out on your bike. Having a coach encourage you through training and even through the bad days can keep you on track to reach your goals. The mental aspect of training cannot be underestimated. A coach will monitor your progress, feedback on your improvements and give you the confidence to perform at a higher level.

Knowledge / Ideas & AdviceThere is an overwhelming amount of articles, books, websites and other resources available, but nothing can replace having a personal coach to discuss ideas with. An experienced coach will be able to offer nuggets of advice specific to you and save you wading through the thousands of articles available on a subject (the best of which they have probably already read themselves!)It is so difficult to make objective decisions about your own training and racing, not least because such decisions are often emotional as well as physical. A coach will help you focus on your priorities and give you impartial advice and honest feedback on your choices (even though it might not be what you want to hear!)

A Holistic Approach A good coach will include technical, tactical, and psychological training in to your programme, not just workouts designed to improve physiology. They will track not just your workouts, but overall health, including things like sleep patterns, nutrition, resting heart rate and how you are feeling.

We get stronger when we rest, for many this is the hardest part of training. Training is addictive and without a coach the likelihood of overtraining is higher. Training too hard or increasing training too quickly can lead to injury, a coach will build your training gradually, constantly track your overall health and pull back your training before injury or overtraining occurs.

Choosing the right coach for you is vital, there needs to be mutual respect, complete trust and honesty in the relationship. A good coach will meet with you, discuss your goals and ambitions and get to know you a little before demanding your hard earned cash! No matter how well qualified or how experienced a coach is or even if they have great results with other club members they will not be any help to you if fundamentally you don’t like and trust each other so choose carefully.